NBA Rumors: LA Lakers could pursue Avery Bradley if he gets bought out 

Avery Bradley
Avery Bradley

Avery Bradley could once again be a member of the LA Lakers if the latest NBA rumors are to be believed. Bradley declined his player option with the Purple and Gold at the start of the 2020-21 season before signing with the Miami Heat in free agency.

After spending an injury-ridden couple of months with the Heat, Avery Bradley was moved to the Houston Rockets as part of the Victor Oladipo trade on Thursday. Bradley has little value on a team that just lost 20 games in a row and could be waived. If that turns out to be the case, the LA Lakers could be interested in reuniting with the two-way guard, as per ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

Avery Bradley signed a two-year deal with a team option worth $11.6 million with the Miami Heat. It wouldn't be too expensive for the Houston Rockets to waive Bradley considering his low salary. His relation with Rob Pelinka would make the LA Lakers the favorites if he becomes available.

NBA Rumors: Avery Bradley's history with LA Lakers

Lakers GM Rob Pelinka
Lakers GM Rob Pelinka

Avery Bradley played a solitary campaign with the LA Lakers in 2019-20. He did not participate in the Purple and Gold's bubble run due to personal reasons. Bradley did leave a positive impression during the 49 regular-season games he had played that year, averaging 8.5 points per contest.

At 6'3, Avery Bradley is a typical 3-and-D guard who can defend up to three positions and has shot the ball at a 36.5% clip from downtown for his career. The LA Lakers have been crying out for shooting help and could make use of Bradley's skill-set.

Interestingly, the Lakers signed Wes Matthews in the offseason to replicate Avery Bradley's offensive and defensive production. Given that Matthews has had a largely inconsistent campaign, Rob Pelinka could seriously reconsider pursuing Bradley in the buyout market.

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Edited by Raunak Jaiswal